


Tea Party

by cyfarwydd



Series: Multi-Fandom Prompt Fics [3]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Babysitting, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-11
Updated: 2011-11-11
Packaged: 2017-10-25 22:47:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/275676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyfarwydd/pseuds/cyfarwydd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny thinks Steve will be an excellent babysitter, Steve is paranoid, and Grace just wants some tea and a few answers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tea Party

**Author's Note:**

> This is kind of hurried, it's like 5:30 in the morning right now, so sorry if it feels at all rushed!

Steve had no idea what to do, which was a rare circumstance for him. He was usually the guy people turned to when they needed direction, he always had a plan for every occasion- or at least, he'd thought he did. But apparently the SEALs never taught you how to keep an eight-year-old girl entertained for a few hours when her father was out.

 

Danny had just stopped by for a visit, Grace following at his heels when he'd gotten a call that they needed him down at the HPD for an emergency review hearing with the board. Danny had sighed, sounding aggravated as he turned to Steve, handing him Grace's small pink backpack and clapping him on the shoulder.

 

"Look babe, I gotta take this, you can watch Gracie for a bit can't you?"

 

Steve opened his mouth, feeling a swell of panic, "Danny, I really don't think that's such a great idea, I've never watched any kids."

 

Danny had stared at him imploringly, swinging his other arm up to grab his opposite shoulder so he was holding Steve steady. "What're you talking about! Gracie's an angel! Put in a few cartoons, give her some food if she asks for it, piece of cake. And you have my number of anything _actually_ happens. Buck up, SEALboy, it'll be over before you know it."

 

Then with a slightly calculating look and a grin on his face Danny had leaned forward and up, planting a kiss on Steve's lips and waiting just long enough to feel Steve leaning into it after getting over his shock when he pulled away. Then he had turned to Gracie, pulling her into a tight hug and telling her he'd be back soon before he was out the door, the sound of the Camaro's engine starting moments later.

 

Steve stood frozen as he stared at the door, lips still tingling from the brief contact. They had been dancing around the situation for ages, the slight hint of tension becoming more and more present in their conversations as they gradually got to know each other better and the feeling slowly deepened, grew within them until it was all but confirmed.

 

And apparently Danny had decided the best moment to confirm it was just before he abandoned Steve to a night of babysitting.

 

It was actually smart in a way because Steve hadn't had any time to protest before he was already gone, and what was Steve going to do? As much as he was lacking in knowledge towards the subject of kids and general childcare, he had always liked Gracie, not in small part thanks to the parts of Danny he could see in her.

 

So with a deep breath Steve crouched down to put himself at eye-level with Danny's little girl, grinning as he held out his hand.

 

"What do you say to a tea party?"

 

Steve liked tea, Rachel was British, he figured it was a pretty good fit. And it turned out he was right- soon Gracie was grinning at him over her gold-rimmed tea cup that he had managed to scrounge up by digging frantically through the back cupboards while trying to appear nonchalant. Mary had never really been the tea party type, so he figured it must've been one of his mother's, pushed far into the recesses of the cupboard yet not thrown away because his father couldn't bear to part with it. After giving it a decent wash and setting himself up with a plain mug he set to work, spinning tales and making faces, mocking Danno in easy tones that let his fondness shine through his words.

 

Before he knew it, hours had passed and Gracie was yawning. 

 

With a glance at the clock in the corner of the room, Steve decided it was late enough that Danny probably wouldn't mind if he let her sleep, so after a questioning glance and her indication of acceptance he picked her up, twirling around as he stood and making her giggle as he carried her up the stairs to the guest bedroom.

 

He set her carefully down on the bed, helping her untie her shoes before raising the covers and letting her slip under them, brushing her long brown hair gently out of her eyes as he turned to go and call Danny, ask him where the hell he was.

 

Just as he was about to step away from the bed a small hand shot out and grabbed him around the wrist, tugging at it. Steve stepped closer to the bed, kneeling down so he could speak to her more clearly.

 

"What is it Grace?"

 

The little girl frowned, biting her lip and glancing off to the side.

 

"Do you love Danno?"

 

Steve cleared his throat, raising his hand to scratch his cheek as he tried to come up with a response to that.

 

"Of course I do, Gracie, he's a really good friend, we're partners, we're-" and Steve was _not_ going to explain the concept of sexual tension and proper work relationships to his _whatever's_ kid. "We like each other." he finally settled on. 

 

Grace sighed, like she was tired of everyone being so stupid all the time, saying in a long suffering voice, "I _know_ that Uncle Steve, I meant love-love, like Rachel does with Stan. Like how Mommy and Danno used to feel about each other."

 

Now it was Steve's turn to frown at her, a touch concerned as he leaned forward to rest a hand on her shoulder.

 

"Why are you asking this Gracie?"

 

He felt the small shoulder shrug under his palm.

 

"Daddy seems sad sometimes, especially when I have to leave and he's all alone. But he's always happy when he's with you and isn't that- isn't that what _love-love_ is?"

 

Steve swallowed, staring into Gracie's sleepy brown eyes, filled with curiosity and innocence.

 

"Yeah Gracie, that's what it is."

 

She smiled, wide and carefree as she reached out and grabbed the top of the blanket it, pulling it up to nestle under her chin.

 

"So you love Danno." More of a confirmation than a question.

 

Steve heard a small noise outside the doorway and when he twisted slightly and looked up he locked eyes with Danny, who had to have been standing there for awhile for Steve not to have heard him. He noticed the blue eyes were shaded- a bit hopeful, a lot fond, and slightly wary.

 

Taking a deep breath, Steve licked his lips, not letting his gaze waver as he said,

 

"Yeah. I do."


End file.
